In all but rare instances, any industrial pneumatic system requires that the supply pressure be stepped-down and regulated at some lower working pressure. In addition, the air itself must be filtered to remove entrained moisture and other impurities while lubricants are often added to keep those pneumatic tools and other devices operated thereby properly oiled. The ordinary pneumatic system, therefore, requires not one, but several, lubricators, filters system pressure regulators located at various points downstream of the supply.
In the past, individual components have been serially connected into the supply line wherever needed. Each such component customarily required several fittings such as reducers, elbows, nipples, couplings and the like to integrate same into the existing air supply. Not only was such a procedure time-consuming and expensive, the individual components became difficult to service, repair or replace, oftentimes resulting in a complete shutdown of the system for protracted periods. Even mounting the components on the wall or other supporting surface was oftentimes done in a haphazard fashion thus resulting in an insecure as well as unsightly assemblage of uncoordinated parts.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel unitized filter-lubricator or filter-regulator-lubricator unit for use in pneumatic systems.
A second object is to provide a device of the type aforementioned that is reversible end-for-end to accommodate flow in either direction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a filter-lubricator unit with a partially-completed regulator section that can be either by-passed or rendered operative by finishing the incomplete passages and adding an adjustable control valve.
Still another objective of the invention is the provision of a combination unit wherein the manifold carries most, if not all, of the working parts of both the filter and lubricator while a detachable bowl carrying subassembly carries the gage and is reversible relative thereto.
An additional object is to provide an integrated multi-component combination air service unit for pneumatic systems that includes special wall mounts which enable it to integrate into any of the common sized air lines or to be removed therefrom by relatively unskilled persons using simple tools and with a minimal interruption in service.
Further objects are to provide a combination filter-regulator-lubricator unit for air lines that is simple, compact, easy to service, versatile, relatively inexpensive, rugged, dependable, efficient and decorative.